A boy runs on an icy sidewalk, slips, and falls. In the future, he no longer runs on icy sidewalks. His getting hurt is an example of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The boy's experience of slipping and getting hurt acts as a deterrent for running on icy sidewalks in the future. This is an example of positive punishment, where the introduction of an unpleasant stimulus (getting hurt) following a behavior (running on icy sidewalks) decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Positive punishment involves adding something unpleasant in response to a behavior to reduce its occurrence.  When a behavior (running on the icy sidewalk) is followed by an aversive stimulus (pain), the behavior is likely to decrease in the future.

A Boy Runs on an Icy Sidewalk, Slips, and Falls